Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
Recent Posts
Advocates, Mayor de Blasio Fend Off TWU Attack on Traffic Safety Laws
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.@RonKim40, Thank you for standing up to help #SaveTheCrosswalk! We urge Speaker @CarlHeastie to reject A.6048-B! pic.twitter.com/7lHfccgtiM — Families For Safe St (@NYC_SafeStreets) June 24, 2015 If you walk or bike in New York City, you can thank Families for Safe Streets, Transportation Alternatives, and Mayor Bill de Blasio for stopping a Transport Workers Union attempt to […]
DC’s Silver Line: A Transit Expansion 34 Years in the Making
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When a politician like Maryland Governor Larry Hogan kills off a transit project, not only does he rob citizens of anticipated improvements, he could be wiping out decades of intricate planning. Dan Malouff at Greater Greater Washington notes that by 2019 it will have taken 34 years to complete the Metro’s Silver Line, which will connect […]
NYPD: Drivers Killed 18 Pedestrians and Cyclists in May, and Injured 1,262
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Twenty-eight people died in New York City traffic in May, and 4,771 were injured, according to the latest NYPD crash data report [PDF]. As of the end of May, 49 pedestrians and cyclists were reported killed by city motorists this year, and 5,049 injured, compared to 54 deaths and 5,669 injuries for the same period in 2014. Drivers killed more pedestrians […]
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan: Purple Line for DC, Bupkis for Baltimore
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Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says the Purple Line, a long-planned light rail expansion of the DC transit system in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, will move forward. But Hogan stiffed the people of Baltimore by canceling the Red Line in favor of road projects. Dan Malouff at Greater Greater Washington reports that Hogan made his announcement yesterday. […]
Atlanta’s Big Turnaround in Walkable Development
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A new report that quantifies development in walkable urban places (“WalkUPs”) has good news for Atlanta. Darin at ATL Urbanist reports: A full 50 percent of new properties developed in the Atlanta region from 2009-2014 happened in walkable urban places, which is not only a higher amount than what’s happening in the other regions as charted […]
Cy Vance to Albany: TWU Bill Would Hinder Cases Against Drunk Drivers
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Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance sent a letter to state lawmakers warning that a bill to prevent police from detaining bus and taxi drivers at crash scenes would undermine law enforcement’s ability to collect evidence of impaired driving. The bill, which sailed through the State Senate yesterday with no public notice and without a public hearing, would bar police […]
Anatomy of a Dangerous Intersection
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Streets designed to facilitate fast driving are not suitable for safe walking. Unfortunately, transportation engineers often don’t design for safety unless a catastrophic event triggers public outcry. Katie Matchett at Where the Sidewalk Starts says the city of San Diego is planning changes at one intersection in an area where motorists routinely hit and injure people, but only after […]
Cy Vance Nets Felony Conviction of Driver Who Killed Senior Shu Ying Liu
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Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance secured a felony hit-and-run conviction against a truck driver who killed a senior in Hell’s Kitchen. On February 5, 2013, Jack Montelbano ran over 69-year-old Shu Ying Liu with a private dump truck as Liu crossed 41st Street at Ninth Avenue in the crosswalk and with the right of way. […]
The Name Says It All: U.S. Senate Unveils the DRIVE Act
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What does Congress envision for the future of transportation in the U.S.? Hint: The Senate’s transportation bill is called the DRIVE Act. Caron Whitaker at the League of American Bicyclists reports: As is evident in the acronym, The Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act, or DRIVE Act, is not focused on improving multi-modal transportation but rather […]
Driver Kills Cyclist in Ditmas Park, NYPD and Media Blame Deceased Victim
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Brooklyn: Ocean Ave & Church Ave. U/D; Cyclist struck by a vehicle, pronounced DOA at KCH. @NYPDHighway investigating pic.twitter.com/J2BkLOadEJ — New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) June 22, 2015 A driver killed a cyclist in Ditmas Park this morning. The cyclist, a 57-year-old man, was riding eastbound on Church Avenue near Ocean Avenue when he was […]
Even Amsterdam Wasn’t Always “Amsterdam”
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If you live in a city where people are trying to make it easier and safer to get around on foot, by bike, or via transit, you’ve probably heard that what works in other towns won’t work in yours. Amsterdam is often held up as a place where people magically move about using bicycles, trams, and their own […]
With Bus Fatalities Down, Albany Shouldn’t Meddle With Right of Way Law
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Violate my right of way? That’s wrong, no matter who you are. @CarlHeastie #DefendRoW no exceptions! #walkingfamilies pic.twitter.com/yNp5nRRbXA — TransAlt (@transalt) June 19, 2015 In 2014 MTA bus drivers killed eight people in crosswalks. Some of those fatalities occurred after the Right of Way Law took effect last August, and several bus drivers were arrested […]